


The Itch to Fly

by seaunicorn



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2018-09-14 14:03:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9184909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaunicorn/pseuds/seaunicorn
Summary: Growing up on Earth after the destruction of Krypton is a challenge for Kara, but her adoptive father J'onn J'onzz makes it a little less lonely being an alien in another world.AU in which Kara's pod lands in South America and she is found/raised by J'onn instead of the Danvers, but Alex still winds up an important part of her life regardless.





	1. Not Afraid

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is more of an introduction/prologue to the story-- it really kicks off and we meet more characters in the next chapter.

_I am not afraid_.

That was Kara Zor-El’s first thought when she awoke from her slumber that brought her to Earth.  At least, that was what she thought until the hood of her pod opened to reveal a large, intimidating, _green_ man.  A Martian, if Kara remembered correctly.  Why was there a Martian on Earth?

He offered a hand to Kara, to help her out of the pod.

She eyed his hand suspiciously.  “Who are you?” Kara asked.

The Martian took a step back.  “My name is J’onn J’onzz,” he said.  “I am not of this world, and I’m here to help you.”  He offered a hand again, and this time, Kara took it and stepped out of her pod.  She looked around at her surroundings to find a very tropical environment with lots of tall trees that blocked the sun.

“I am Kara Zor-El,” she said.  “I was sent here from Krypton to protect my cousin, Kal El.  Do you know where I can find him?”

“What’s that on your shirt?” J’onn asked.

Kara looked down at her chest where the symbol of the house of El was etched onto her clothing in a subtly different shade.  “That is my family coat of arms,” Kara replied.  “The House of El.  Why?  Do you know it?”

“I think I know who your cousin might be,” J’onn replied.  “But you must come with me.  It’s not safe here.”

“Why is it not safe?” Kara asked.  “My parents sent me here, to Earth, for my safety.  For Kal’s safety.”

J’onn sighed.  “It’s a long story, but there are people who saw your pod fall to Earth.  Bad people.  They must be making their way here now.”

“But—“

“Come with me, Kara Zor-El,” J’onn said.  “I promise I will explain everything.”

Kara looked into his eyes and saw pain.  She recognized it because it was pain that she herself could now recognize, after losing her entire world.  There was something about J’onn that Kara was drawn to.  She trusted him.  “Okay,” Kara said.  “But my pod—I need it with me.  Will they find it?”

“Leave it to me,” J’onn said.  Without another word, he lifted the ship over his head effortlessly.

“How did you—“

“Follow me,” J’onn grunted, and Kara had no choice but to follow.  She would ask her questions soon enough.

J’onn was fast, even carrying the pod over his head, but Kara had no problem keeping up with his long strides.  In fact, the longer Kara spent awake, the more rejuvenated and energized she felt.  She felt stronger than she could ever remember feeling, and she wasn’t sure why.

As they trudged out of the thick of the rainforest, the tangle of trees began to thin out.  Soon enough, Kara could see the bright blue sky above their heads, and Earth’s yellow sun.  The sight of it gave Kara a pang of sadness at the thought of never seeing her own red sun again.  Krypton was gone, as were her parents, and everything she left behind.

Kara sniffed as she felt tears silently fall from her eyes, but she continued following J’onn, not faltering and keeping up her pace.

They walked for what seemed to be hours, but still Kara never grew tired.  She did, however, grow hungry.  Her stomach growled painfully.  Kara clutched her shirt with a frown.

“We’re almost there,” J’onn said, as if reading her mind.  He dropped the pod to the ground and dragged a fallen tree to cover it from prying eyes.  “Don’t be alarmed,” he said.  “I’m going to change my appearance because my natural form tends to evoke fear in humans.”

Kara nodded in understanding, and suddenly, J’onn’s form glowed.  He shrunk down a few feet and took the appearance of a young Latino man.

“This way,” he said in a gruff, accented voice.

There was a path under their feet, and soon enough, small, worn-down buildings began to appear around them as they entered a village.  J’onn waved to a few of the people he passed, obviously familiar with him, but everyone eyed Kara with suspicion as she was a stranger.

J’onn led Kara into a small house on the edge of the village.  The room they entered had a chair, an old couch, and a doorway that led to a few other rooms.  As soon as they were inside, he shifted back to his true Martian form.  “I know you must have many questions, Kara Zor-El.  I will answer all that I can.”

“Where are we?” Kara asked immediately.  “Where is Kal El?  How can you do the shape shifting thing?  Do you have any food?  Why do—“

“Slow down,” J’onn said with an amused chuckle.  “First things first,” he said, disappearing into another room and reappearing a moment later with a plate of food.  Kara’s face lit up as he offered it to her.  “We are in South America,” J’onn continued.  “Brazil, I believe.  Your cousin, Kal El, is known as Superman on this world.  He is in Metropolis.”

“Where is Metropolis?  Why do they call him Superman?” Kara asked with a mouthful of fruit.  She quickly chewed and swallowed.  “He’s only a baby.  I have to look out for him!”

“Metropolis is in North America, far from here,” J’onn said, then took a deep breath.  “I think your journey here was longer than anticipated.  Your cousin is grown now, and he is something of a hero here.  I believe you have certain…abilities, the same as him.”

“My mother told me the yellow sun would affect me…” Kara mused.  “Is that why I could keep up with you?”  J’onn nodded.  “What other kind of abilities?  What can I do?”  In her excitement, Kara accidentally snapped her plate in half.  She looked down in shock; she hadn’t even realized her grip was very tight.

“Well, for starters, extreme strength,” J’onn said.  He didn’t smile, but there was an amused glint in his eyes as he helped Kara pick up the pieces.  “Your cousin, _Superman_ , also has accelerated healing, x-ray vision, heat vision, freeze breath, enhanced hearing, and flight.  As far as I know.”

“Flight?” Kara asked in awe.  “I can fly?”

J’onn nodded.  “Yes,” he said.  “I don’t know how quickly your powers are going to begin to manifest, but clearly your increased stamina and strength have already started coming in.  Now, you’ll need to learn to control these powers quickly, otherwise it would draw attention to you.  We can’t have that.”

“Why not?” Kara asked with a frown.  “Why can’t I see my cousin?  Who’s looking for me?”  J’onn sighed.  “You said you would answer my questions!”

“I know, I know,” J’onn said.  “It’s just a lot.  Here on this world, humans are afraid of people like you and me.  Aliens.”

“But—but you said that Kal is a hero,” Kara said with a confused frown.

“Oh, he is,” J’onn explained.  “But there are many who are scared of him too.  There are organizations out there that would prefer to hold him and turn him into a lab rat, figuring out his biology, physiology, what makes him _him_ , and now that they know you’re here, they’re going to want to do the same to you.  You can’t be found by them, Kara.”

Kara frowned, tears stinging her eyes again, a throbbing headache starting to form.  “But I need to find Kal… He’s the only family I have left.”  She sat down on the couch and buried her face in her hands, willing herself not to cry. _I am not afraid_ , she told herself.

She heard feet shuffle across the floor and felt the couch dip next to her.  Kara looked up when she felt a hand on her arm.  Her vision was a little fuzzy, but she didn’t think much of it.  “I’m sorry, Kara, but you must remain hidden, for your protection,” J’onn said.  “I will do what I can to help you survive here, help you control your powers, but you cannot seek out Superman.”

Kara leaned back against the couch.  “I miss my mother,” she whispered.

J’onn spoke quietly.  “Your world is gone, correct?”  Slowly, Kara nodded.  “I, too, know what it’s like to lose a world, a family.  Let me help you.”

Kara was thankful for this strange man, for his hospitality and understanding.  She suddenly threw her arms around him in a tight hug and cried.  J’onn tensed under her embrace, but did not push her away.  “Thank you, J’onn J’onzz.”  When Kara pulled away to look at him again, she felt as though her eyes were going to fall out of her skull.  Her vision shifted and she could see every bone and vein within his head.  “W—what’s happening?” she asked.

Kara’s ears perked, and she picked up a conversation from across the village that sounded like it was coming from just the other room.  She could hear every crunch of a leaf, every drop of dew that fell off a tree, every rustle in the bushes, every chirp of an insect or call of a bird.

Kara closed her eyes and covered her ears, as her breathing grew erratic and her heart thumped wildly in her chest.  Tears streamed from her eyes again and there was nothing she could do to stop them.  She felt frozen, stuck, and all she could do was cry and shake violently.  “Kara?” J’onn’s voice call out to her, but it felt so distant.  She tried to breathe in, but her breath caught in her throat.  “Kara, listen to me!  Focus on me!  Breathe.  In and out, in and out.”

Kara suddenly became aware of hands on her arms.  She tried to focus on his voice, telling her to breathe.  She listened, and tried to follow along.  She started with quick breaths through her mouth—in out, in out, in out.  Her breath gradually slowed and her heart stopped thrumming anxiously.  She could still hear everything, but focusing on her own breathing helped drown it out.

“Are you alright?” J’onn asked when it seemed Kara had calmed enough.

Kara nodded hesitantly.  “I think so.  How—how will I learn to control all this?  It’s so much.”

“I will help you, Kara.”

Kara wiped her eyes.  She was so overwhelmed, with all these changes happening so quickly.  She wanted to go back.  In her eyes, it had only felt like a day ago that she embraced her parents one last time before her world was destroyed.  Now, looking at J’onn and his concerned eyes, it gave Kara hope that not all was lost.

 

* * *

 

 

_One Year Later_

Kara awoke suddenly with a rough shake of her arm.  She groaned and pulled the covers over her head, but they were forcibly ripped away.  Kara groaned.

“Kara, we have to move,” J’onn said urgently.

Kara quickly sat up and rubbed her eyes.  “J’onn?” she asked, quickly adjusting her vision to look at him directly.  “What is it?”  She looked him up and down, taking in his appearance.  There were bruises and scratches all over, his cape was ripped, and he was covered a warm, red substance that smells an awful lot like blood.  “That’s not your blood, is it?”

“Kara, let’s _go_!” he barked, and stormed out of the room.

Kara leaped out of bed, grabbing a t-shirt and jeans, putting them on quickly.  Her ears honed in, trying to find some distant sound that’s out of place, but the night seemed normal, all was quiet.  “J’onn!” she called after him as she laced up her boots and ran out of the room.

She found him in the front room of their house with two bags packed, and he continued shoving as much as he could fit into them.  He grabbed a small pouch and opened it to reveal a large wad of American cash.  Kara’s eyes bulged out of her head.  “J’onn, tell me what is going on!”

“It’s not safe here,” he said quickly.  “They’ve found us.”

Kara frowned.  “Whose blood is that?”

J’onn just grunted and shoved the wad of cash into his pocket.

“J’onn, whose blood is that?!”

J’onn spun around and stared at Kara.  “Hank Henshaw.”  Kara’s look of confusion prompted him to continue.  “He worked for the DEO.  You know, the people who were hunting us?”  Kara nodded.  “Now, I have a plan, but we have to leave _now_ or they’ll find us.  Let’s go.”  J’onn grabbed one backpack for himself and handed the other out to Kara.  She took it and slipped it on, following him out the door.

“Kara, I know you haven’t been able to use your heat vision yet, but I need you to try,” he said when they were outside.  “We need to get rid of any evidence we were here, burn it down.”

Kara shook her head, “I don’t think I can,” she said.  She had been asleep ten minutes ago, and now her whole life on Earth that she had known for the past year was turned upside down.  She wasn’t sure if she could use _any_ of her powers right now, let alone one that hadn’t even manifested yet.

“ _Try_ , Kara!  Please.”

Kara took a deep breath, focusing herself and her energy, just like J’onn had taught her in their many meditation sessions.  She opened her eyes and glared at the house, trying to will something, anything to happen.

Nothing happened.

“Come on, come _on_!” she groaned.  Kara felt something stinging her eyes.  _Yes_ , she thought _, this is it_.  When a tear slid down her cheek, she cried out in frustration, then punched a hole in the side of the house.

“We don’t have the time,” J’onn said.  He fumbled in a backpack pocket until he retrieved matches.  He lit one, kicked open the door, and tossed it onto the couch.  It took a moment, but the couch slowly caught fire.  He lit another and tossed it further into the house, then threw a couple onto the roof.  “That’s the best we can do right now.  Let’s go.”  He grabbed Kara by the arm and pulled her away.  Kara turned around and watched another home go up in flames.

They ran until they reached a small clearing in the trees, away from the village.  Kara looked to the skyline and saw smoke beginning to billow from where they left.  She frowned.

“You remember how to fly?” J’onn asked.  He taught Kara once, when she first arrived.  She was forbidden from flying except for emergencies, so she hadn’t done it in months.  She nodded, a little unsure.  “Follow me,” he said, and took off into the air.

Kara’s eyes followed him as he flew up into the air.  She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and leaped off the ground.  Kara felt the air rushing around her, but she didn’t fall.  She opened her eyes and looked around.  She was flying.

Kara squinted into the night and spotted J’onn, quite a distance ahead of her.  She sped off in his direction, following before he disappeared.

When Kara caught up with J’onn, she flew next to him and looked up at him, face deep with concentration.  “J’onn, where are we going?” she shouted over the wind in their ears as they sped through the skies.  His head turned and his eyes met hers.

“California.”

Kara’s eyes focused on the horizon, only seeing trees for miles and miles, and the new home she had grown to love this year, slowly disappeared behind them.


	2. Jeremiah Danvers

Adjusting to new life in America was difficult for Kara.  She had grown so accustomed to her simple life with J’onn over the past year.  But now J’onn— _Hank_ , Kara reminded herself, _he goes by Hank now_ —Hank was in charge at the DEO.

It was the exact same organization that had been hunting them, and Kara was confused, but she went along with it because J’onn— _Hank_ , was her family here.

After J’onn had stepped into the shoes of Hank Henshaw, he forged a birth certificate and adoption papers, and legally adopted Kara, so they would have a reason to stay together.  After all, Kara was only fourteen years old, and she needed a guardian.  So, Kara Zor-El became Kara Henshaw.

They lived in La Quinta, a smaller town out in Palm Desert, because Hank didn’t think Kara or her powers were ready for the challenges of living in a big city.  Not yet, at least.  They had a shed in their yard, and it was easy enough to relocate Kara’s pod to the keep it near.  It was, after all, the last remnant of Krypton that Kara had, and she couldn’t bear to part with it.

Kara had to go to school now.  All the students’ pointless chatter drove her _crazy_ , and all these primitive Earth subjects weren’t enough to challenge her or keep her interested.  She hated school.

The one benefit to her new life in California was that Hank now had a way to contact Superman.

That was why Kara was having a particularly difficult time concentrating in class.  Hank was meeting Superman that day, and he was going to tell him everything, and as long as everything went well, Kara would finally be reunited with her cousin.

Kara tapped her pencil against her desk as she stared at the clock, watching the seconds go by.  _Tick, tick, tick_.  The sound was deafening in her ears, and if she listened a little closer, she could hear the silent clicks of the gears turning behind the face of the clock.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to tune out the sound before she became overwhelmed.

“Kara?”

Kara quickly opened her eyes and found the teacher looking at her expectantly, as well as the rest of the class.  “W—what was the question?” Kara asked.

“Two negative integers, Kara,” Mr. Kuhn repeated.  “What do they make?”

“Um, a negative?” Kara guessed.

The entire class snickered.  “A positive, Miss Henshaw,” he said.  “Maybe next time try dozing off at home instead of in my class.”

“Sorry, sir,” Kara muttered.  She turned her attention back to her notebook, where she doodled in the margins.

Just then, the final bell of the day rang.  Kara jumped out of her seat.  She had been at this school for two months, but she’d never get used to that darn bell.

Once the shock wore off, Kara grinned.  The end of the day meant she was that much closer to seeing Kal El.  She quickly shoved her notebook into her backpack and took off (at normal human speeds) out the door.

“Why is she such a freak?” Kara heard from the classroom she had just left.  She frowned.  Having super hearing was hard when you could hear every mean thing anyone said about you.

Kara sprinted to the bus and found a spot in the front right behind the driver.  “Hi Louis,” she said.

“Hey Kara,” the bus driver replied with a grin.  “You seem awfully excited today.”

She wanted to share her excitement with _someone_ , and she figured a vague answer wouldn’t hurt, so Kara told him, “I’m seeing my cousin today!”

“Your cousin, huh?” Lous asked.  “Sounds fun.  How long’s it been?”

“Too long,” Kara said with a frown.

Students slowly filed onto the bus, and Kara knew it would be another eight minutes before the bus actually left, and then another twelve minutes before it arrived at her stop.  It was going to seem like an eternity.  Kara wished she could just fly home, but Hank forbade her from using her powers, especially now that they lived near so many more people.

Instead of driving herself crazy counting the seconds, Kara pulled her notebook onto her lap and opened to a new page to draw.  She absentmindedly found herself drawing her cousin.  Once they moved to California, and they got a computer, Kara found herself researching everything about _Superman_.  There were few pictures of him, but the photographer Jimmy Olsen had a couple of great shots.  She recognized his eyes, and Hank even said they had the same nose.

Kara sketched Superman, and paid special detail to the symbol of the House of El that he wore on his chest.  Her heart twinged in sadness in her chest; Kara missed her family every single day.  The pain hadn’t dulled any over time, but it became easier to deal with.

“Kara,” Louis said, pulling Kara from her thoughts.  She looked up from her notebook.  “Your stop.”

Kara leapt off of the bus the moment the doors flew open and ran the rest of the way home.  She may have used her super speed, just a _little_ bit in the last stretch up the driveway, and a gust of wind flew into the house as she threw the door open.

Two heads turned to look at her: Hank, and Superman.

Kara’s heart swelled at the sight of her cousin, and she felt her eyes prick with tears.  He wasn’t a baby anymore, but she would recognize those eyes anywhere.  “Kal?” she whispered.  She dropped her backpack on the floor and stepped forward.  She couldn’t believe it.  The last time she saw Kal El, Kara could hold him in her arms.  She’d changed his _diapers_ , and now he towered over her, years older, smiling at her with only vague familiarity.

“It’s me, Kara,” he said.  “I go by Clark now, but it’s me.”

Kara couldn’t hold herself back any longer.  She threw her arms around her cousin and hugged him as tightly as she could, comforted knowing that she could use all her strength and not hurt him.

“Ouch!” he said and pulled back a little.  “You’ve got quite a grip there!”

“Sorry,” Kara said, wiping her eyes.  “I just can’t believe you’re here.  I’ve been waiting for this for so long!”

“I know,” Clark said.  “J’onn told me everything.  I wish I could have seen you sooner.”

“Me too,” Kara said.  “But you’re here now!  Are you going to stay here with me and Hank?  Ooh, or can I go to Metropolis with you?  I’ve never been to Metropolis!”  Kara noticed when Clark’s excited grin fell, and he shared a look with Hank.  “What?” she asked.

“Kara,” Clark started, “I can’t stay here.  And you can’t come with me.”

“Why?” Kara asked, confused.  “We’re family.  We’re supposed to be together!”

“I know, Kara, I know,” he said.  “But Metropolis needs me, and it’s safer for you here.”

“But—“

“I’m here now, Kara, and I’ll make sure you can always contact me if you ever need anything, but it’s best for both of us if you’re here with Hank.”

“Kal, I—“

“Kara, please,” Clark said.  He kneeled down in front of Kara and held her by the shoulders.  “I’m so happy to have found you, Kara, but I want you to be safe, _normal_.  And here with Hank, that’s what’s best for you.”

Kara refused to meet his eyes.  This was not how she today was going to go, and she felt her heart breaking in her chest.

“Look, I have a friend,” Clark explained.  “He lives in Midvale with his family, not too far from here.  Jeremiah Danvers and his wife Eliza are scientists, and they’re the only ones I trusts with my biology— _our_ biology.  I’ve worked with them for years, and they’ve helped me learn so much about myself I never would have figured out otherwise.  I want you to meet with them.”  He turned up to look at Hank as well.  “Both of you.  I think it would be good for both of you to have a friend in him.”

“I don’t want a friend,” Kara sobbed angrily.  “I want my family.  _You’re_ my family.”

Clark pulled Kara into a tight hug and held her as she cried.  She tried to fight at first, push him away.  She felt sick, betrayed, that her family didn’t want her, but eventually she stopped struggling.  She cried and held him tight before he would disappear again.  “I wish it didn’t have to be this way,” he said to her.

“Please don’t leave me,” Kara choked out between sobs.  “ _Please_.”

“I’m sorry, Kara,” Clark said.  He gave Kara one last tight squeeze before letting go of their embrace.  He turned to Hank to shake his hand, then left, and Kara somehow felt even more empty than before she had met him.  She ran to her room and slammed the door shut behind her.

Hank didn’t come check on Kara until a few hours later when he came to bring her dinner and to inform her that they would be meeting with the Danvers at the end of the week.

Kara’s mood didn’t change over the next few days, and by the time Friday night rolled around, she was not looking forward to meeting Jeremiah Danvers at all.  Hank was not home when Kara arrived after school, so she shut herself away in her bedroom, but a few hours later there was a knock at the door.

“What?” Kara grumbled.

Hank opened the door a crack, but did not step inside.  “We’re leaving once it’s dark,” he said.  “Be ready.  And pack a bag.”  Once the door was shut again, Kara turned to the window, watching the sun slowly disappear on the horizon.

A few minutes after sundown, Kara heard the front door open and close as Hank went outside to wait for her.  Reluctantly, Kara dragged herself out of bed and quickly threw some clothes into a backpack before she followed him out.

“Remember, Kara—“

“I know, I know,” she muttered.  “No flying except for emergencies or under your supervision.”

Hank nodded.  “Now, Midvale is a ways away, so we’ll be staying with the Danvers for the weekend, so they can get to know you a little better.”  Kara didn’t say anything, but she nodded so Hank would know she was listening.  “Ready?” he asked, and instead of waiting for an answer, took off into the air, knowing Kara would follow.

Kara loved to fly, after all.

It took a little over an hour for them to reach Midvale, flying at average speeds because Hank never allowed Kara to test the limits of how fast she could go.  Eventually, Hank dropped down on a grassy hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

“Wow,” Kara gasped.  She had never seen the ocean before.  She followed him and her feet gracefully touched down on the ground.

Kara closed her eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the new sounds.  The crash of the waves on the shore, the crackling of a bonfire down the beach, the squawk of gulls, the sea breeze that rushed around them.  She opened her eyes and nodded to Hank, to let him know that she was okay, that she wouldn’t get overwhelmed, and they headed for the front door of the house.

When Hank knocked, the door flew open immediately to reveal Jeremiah Danvers.

“You must be J’onn,” Jeremiah said, and he held out his hand in greeting.  “Jeremiah Danvers.”  He took a step back and welcomed them into the house.  “And this is my wife, Eliza.”

“Please, call me Hank,” Hank replied as he shook Jeremiah’s hand.  “It’s less confusing and easier to keep a secret if you call me Hank.”

“Of course, Hank,” Jeremiah said, nodding enthusiastically.  Hank stepped into the house, and Kara still timidly stood at the door.  “You must be Kara,” he said, softly.  “Clark has told us so much about you.  I’m Jeremiah.”

Kara frowned at the mention of her cousin, but swallowed her pride and shook Jeremiah’s hand.  “It’s nice to meet you, Jeremiah Danvers.”

“You know,” he said, “I have a daughter about your age.  She’s only a year or two older than you.”

At this, Eliza chimed in, “A daughter who should have been home by now.  We told her we’re having guests tonight.”

“Eliza, it’s fine,” Jeremiah said.  “You know she hardly gets the chance to surf anymore.  Don’t be so hard on her.”

Eliza nodded and muttered, “Pardon me.  I’m Eliza.”  She quickly shook hands with Hank and Kara.  “If you’re hungry, dinner’s ready!  And don’t worry, we know all about your appetite, so there’s enough food to go around.”

At the mention of food, Kara’s face lit up.  Maybe this visit with the Danvers wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Dinner was already set up on the table and Kara immediately piled food onto her plate.  As she was about to take a bite, Eliza Danvers warned her, “Careful, it’s hot!”

“Of course,” Kara muttered, and blew on the drumstick in her hands to cool it off.  Unfortunately, she accidentally froze the food in her hands with her freeze breath.  Her eyes grew wide.  “Oops.”

Eliza looked amused, while Jeremiah looked more concerned.  “Well, at least we know you can use your freeze breath now,” Hank chuckled.  Kara smiled, grabbed a new piece of chicken, and dug in.

Kara inhaled her food.  There was chicken and potatoes and rolls, _god_ how she loved bread.  Carbs were the most delicious thing to exist, Kara was sure of it.  She ate to her fill and there was even more leftover.  Jeremiah cleared the table to allow room for Eliza to bring out the chocolate pecan pie she had made for dessert.  Eliza sliced up the pie and set a piece on a plate for Kara when the front door opened.

It was not too late in the evening, barely past eight o’clock, but apparently, it was late enough.  Eliza’s polite smile turned to a frown at the sound of someone padding into the house.

“Mom, Dad!” a voice called.  “I’m home!”

“Alexandra, sweetie,” Eliza said, disdain in her voice, “would you come here please?”

A moment later, Alexandra entered the dining room, tall and lanky, her face and chest freckled from spending time out in the sun, long brown hair tied up in a ponytail, still damp from her day at the beach.  She wore a swimsuit and had a towel draped over her shoulders, dripping water onto the dining room floor.  “Yeah?”

“You were supposed to be home at six,” Eliza said with a frown.

“Sorry,” Alexandra said with a shrug.  “I was at the beach with the guys.  Lost track of time.”

Eliza folded her arms across her chest and gave her daughter a disapproving look.  “We have guests, dear,” she said.

Kara awkwardly stared at the slice of pie in front of her, longing to eat it, but not wanting to make an awkward moment any more awkward.  She gulped when she felt the Danvers’ daughter’s eyes on her and looked up briefly.  Alexandra gave her a small smile and a wave.

“Please, go change into something more appropriate, then come join us.  We saved you some dinner and we’re just starting dessert.”

“Actually, I was just going to head up to my room,” Alexandra said.  “There was a bonfire and we had hot dogs, so I already ate.  Thanks, though.”

“Alexandra—“  Eliza called out, but it was too late, and her daughter had already slipped out of the room.  Jeremiah put a hand on her shoulder when she began to tense, and Eliza calmed immediately.  She took a deep breath, then smiled at Kara and Hank.  “I’m sorry about her,” Eliza said calmly.  “But please, dig in!”

Kara picked up her fork and took a bite of her chocolate pecan pie to find that her previous sentiment on carbs was false.  This chocolate pecan pie was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted.

After an enjoyable evening of good food and pleasant conversation, it began to grow late.

“I just want to thank you again for coming to visit us,” Jeremiah said to Hank and Kara.  “I know you don’t know us yet, but we’d like for you to know us, and we’d like to know you.”

Eliza nodded.  “Kara, we’d like to give you a physical in the morning.  We’ve done the same for your cousin, and have learned so much from him.  We just want to make sure you’re in good health.”

Kara was unsure what to say.  The idea of the Danvers probing at her and taking samples and researching her made her uncomfortable.  It was like she would be their lab rat.  The sensible part of Kara’s brain knew that that wasn’t the case, but it was how she felt.  She was allowed to feel, right?  Eyes were on her as they waited for a response.  Kara gave an unsure nod.  “Okay.”

Eliza’s face brightened with a grin.  “Wonderful!” she said, and clapped her hands together.  “For now, get some rest.  It’s been a long day.  Hank, we have you set up in the guest room.  Kara, I hope you’re okay with it, but we have you sharing a room with our daughter Alexandra for the weekend.”

Kara nodded again.  “That’s perfectly fine, Eliza.”

She followed Eliza upstairs and down the hall.  Eliza knocked on a closed door, and then opened it.  “Alex, dear,” she said.  “I told you Kara would be staying in your room this weekend.”  No response.  Eliza held open the door a little wider, allowing Kara to slip into the room.

Alex’s room was warm the dark shades of blue were inviting, and the room was comfortably messy.  Blankets were rumpled, clothes on the floor, but not dirty.  Her desk was stacked with textbooks: AP History, Honors Biology, Calculus, to name a few.  The mirror behind her desk had photographs taped around the frame, of Alex and her parents, or Alex and her friends.  Alex herself sat on her bed reading with her Walkman CD player headphones over her ears.

There was a small cot set up on the opposite side of the room, made up with sheets, blankets, and pillows.  The cot squeaked as she sat on the mattress and placed her duffel bag on the floor.

“Make yourself at home, Kara,” Eliza said.  “Bathroom is at the end of the hall.  Don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything.”

Kara smiled.  “Thank you for your hospitality, Eliza.”

Eliza closed the door behind herself, leaving Kara alone in the room with Alex.

What followed would have been an awkward silence for any _normal_ person.  For Kara, however, she could hear Alex’s heavy heartbeat thrumming in her chest.  She could hear the slide of Alex’s fingers across the pages of her book.  She could hear the cacophony of hard rock music coming from the CD player Alex was plugged into.  She could hear Eliza’s footsteps as they disappeared down the stairs.

Kara picked out J’onn’s—Hank’s voice speaking in hushed tones with Jeremiah as Eliza joined the conversation.  “ _She’s away with Alex now_ ,” Eliza said in a hushed tone.

“ _She probably won’t fall asleep for some time, though,”_ Hank replied.  “ _She’s always found that difficult_.”

“ _That’s what we want to help with_ ,” Jeremiah interjected.  “ _After a full physical tomorrow, I think we will be able to help her with_ —”

“So you’re an alien?”  Kara was shocked back into the room, letting the distant voices fade back into the usual hum in the back of her mind, focusing now on the much closer voice.  Kara looked up to find Alex looking at her, book on the bedside table, music paused, but headphones still resting around her neck.

“Yes,” Kara nodded.  “I’m Kara—”

“Kara Zor El,” Alex finished for her.  “I know.  You’re all my parents have been able to talk about _all week_.”

“Thank you for letting me stay with you, Alexandra Danvers,” Kara said.

She rolled her eyes.  “It’s Alex,” she muttered.

“Well it’s good to meet you, Alex,” Kara replied.  “Your parents are very nice.”

“Whatever,” Alex muttered.  She removed the headphones from her neck and rolled up the cord, placing the CD player neatly on her bedside table next to the book.  “Just don’t expect me to be your friend, I already have those.  And don’t touch any of my stuff.”

With that, Alex flicked off the light by her bed and pulled the blankets up to her chin, leaving Kara in the darkness.

“Goodnight Alex.”

By Alex’s unsteady breath and rustling in her bed, she had not fallen asleep that quickly, but she provided no response.  Kara frowned.  Instead of lingering on Alex’s less-than-welcoming behavior, she grabbed a change of clothes and a bag of toiletries and made her way down the hall to the bathroom.

_“Have you been keeping her powers in check?”_

_“Yes, of course.”_

_“Good, it’s best for her to keep them hidden.  We don’t know how they will be different from Clark’s, and any risk of exposure is not safe.”_

Kara tuned out the voices with a glare.  Keep her powers secret?  It’s not her fault if she couldn’t control them sometimes.  She grumpily pulled out her tooth brush and huffed.  Her huff accidentally froze the brush of her toothbrush.  “Shoot,” she muttered.  “Maybe I can…”  Kara glared at the tip of her tooth brush, trying to spark her heat vision to melt it, but nothing.

“Stupid yellow sun,” Kara grumbled.

Back inside the dark bedroom, the sounds of Midvale were different than what she had grown used to.  Every time a wave crashed on the shore, it startled her.  The strong winds felt deafening in her ears in the otherwise quiet of the night.  She tried not to listen to the hushed conversation downstairs, but the voices were there, prying into her ears.  She had gotten better at controlling her hearing, but sometimes, in new and unfamiliar environments, it was a struggle.  She strained her ears to find something to focus on—something soft and steady.

The consistent thump of Alex’s heartbeat across the room was all she could find.  Kara closed her eyes, and focused on the gentle thrumming, and eventually was able to drift off to sleep.

The sun peeked through the windows in the morning and fell on Kara’s face, waking her from her sleep.  She yawned, sat up, and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.  Her eyes fluttered open, taking in the room, realizing she was still visiting the Danvers and in Alex’s room.  Then, her eyes caught sight of Alex, or more so, Alex’s bare back as she dressed for the day.

Kara bolted upright on her cot and her cheeks burned bright red, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the freckled skin.  The burn moved from her cheeks and up to her eyes, and at the last moment, Kara realized what was happening.  She averted her eyes from Alex just in time for red streaks to shoot from her eyes.  The book on Alex’s bedside table caught fire.

Alex jumped, startled, and quickly threw on her shirt.  She looked from Kara, sitting in bed, hands over her eyes, to the burning book on her bedside table.  “What the _hell_?!”

“I am so sorry, Alex!” Kara jumped out of bed and rushed to the fire.  She quickly prayed in her head to Rao that her powers would do what she wanted for _once_ , and blew her freeze breath at the book.  Eventually, the fire stopped, leaving a frozen but charred block.

“That was my favorite book!”

“It was an accident!”

The bedroom door burst open, Eliza looking frantic.  “What happened?” she said.  “Kara, are you okay?”

“ _She’s_ fine,” Alex grumbled.  “She set my book on fire!”

“What?”

“My—my heat vision—it was an accident!”

Hank appeared next.  “Did you say your heat vision came in?”

“Sure, I’m fine, not like I almost died or anything,” Alex grumbled.

“Alex I’m—”

“How did you do it, Kara?”

“What happened?”

There was nothing Kara could do as Alex grabbed her shoes and a bag, and stormed out of her room without so much as a second glance.

It was a long day of being poked and prodded by Eliza and Jeremiah.  Kara had her very first full physical (minus the blood sample, seeing as they didn’t have any needles strong enough to penetrate her skin).  The two scientists spent the entire day asking her questions and fact-checking her biology with what they had learned from her cousin and testing the limits of her powers.

By the time the end of the day rolled around, Kara was _exhausted_.  And as a superhuman, she was never exhausted.  As they all sat down to eat at the dinner table, Kara noticed something was amiss.  “Where’s Alex?” she asked.

“She must still be at the beach with her friends,” Jeremiah said.

“Late to dinner again, as usual,” Eliza muttered.

“We haven’t seen her since this morning,” Kara frowned.

“I’m sure Alex is fine.”

Instead of listening to them, Kara honed in her hearing, trying to listen for any sounds of Alex… _there it was_.  Her now familiar heartbeat.  Surrounded by waves crashing, pained gasps… “ _Help!_ ” came Alex’s distant call.

Kara shot up from her seat at the table.  “Something’s wrong.”  She took off, faster than a bullet, out the door, flying to the beach where she heard the sound.

The beach was empty, the sky was dark, and the waves were fierce.  “ALEX?”  Kara called out as she hovered over the water.  She scanned the dark waves for anything, and her x-ray vision proved very helpful as she spotted a figure struggling in the waves, caught in a riptide.  “ALEX!”

Kara dove into the water, grabbed Alex around the waist, and pulled her up out.  The heavy surfboard still leashed to Alex’s ankle trailed behind them.  Finally clear of the water, Kara dropped Alex on the shore, and they collapsed in the sand.  Alex grasped at the sand and coughed the salt water out of her lungs.

“Alex, are you okay?”

Alex lifted her head to find Kara gazing down at her with a concerned frown.  Her eyes, for a moment, looked to Kara in awe.  She opened her mouth to speak.

“Kara! Alex!”

Hank, Eliza, and Jeremiah had arrived at the beach and were making their way down the sand toward them.  Alex jumped out of Kara’s arms and cleared her throat.

“I was _fine,_ Kara,” she grumbled.  She bent over to extract her ankle from the strap.

Hank made it to them first.  “Kara, that was dangerous,” he scolded.  “What if there were people at the beach?  What if someone had seen?”

Eliza came next, and threw her arms around her daughter.  “Alex, honey, are you alright?”  Alex quickly extracted herself from her mother’s embrace.

“I said I was fine.”

“You would have drowned if I hadn’t come!” Kara argued.

Alex glared at her.  “I was grabbing onto my board by the time you showed up!  I would’ve been _fine_.”

Kara met her gaze.  _Liar_ , she thought.

Alex knew that Kara could see right through her.

“What matters is that everyone _is_ fine,” Jeremiah said, trying to ease the tension that sprung up between the group.  “Come on everyone, let’s get back inside.  Alex, you must be freezing.”  He took off his jacket and put it over his daughter’s shoulders.  Alex accepted the gesture but didn’t thank him.  She took her surfboard under her arm and immediately took off back in the direction of the house, not waiting for everyone else to follow.

Dinner was an awkward affair that night.  By the time the rest of the party arrived back at the Danvers house, Alex was already in the shower and did not opt to join them afterward.  Nobody wanted to talk about it, and they ate in silence.

Eventually, Kara went back to Alex’s room to sleep that night and found the lights off, and Alex already tucked away in bed.  She got settled on her cot, pulled up the blankets, and closed her eyes to sleep.  After a moment, she heard the softest, “Thank you,” from across the room.

Kara shot up from bed, but Alex was still lying down asleep.  Her erratic heartbeat, though, told Kara otherwise.  Kara smiled to herself and laid down again to sleep.

The next day, Alex didn’t acknowledge the previous day’s events.  She wasn’t rude to Kara, either.  She was simply indifferent.  Kara could work with indifference.

They didn’t spend long with the Danvers that day, as it was a long trip back to La Quinta, and Kara had school the next morning.  Before they parted, Jeremiah pulled Kara aside to speak with her.

“Understanding you and your powers is going to be a process for all of us,” he explained as they walked along the path around their house with a perfect view of the ocean.  “I know this weekend has gotten us off to a rough start, but I hope you can trust us—Eliza and I.  Even Alex.”  He glanced down at the beach where Alex was, once again, surfing with her friends.  Kara could easily make out her slim figure and chestnut hair shining in the sun.  “She means well, even if she doesn’t show it...”  He trailed off.

“I understand,” Kara replied, reassuring him.  “Thank you, Jeremiah.  Your family has been very kind to Hank and I this weekend.”

Jeremiah smiled.  He reached into his pocket for something.  “Here,” he muttered.  “I was able to put these together last night.”  He revealed a pair of glasses. “The frames are lined with lead to make your x-ray vision easier to control.  I made a pair just like it for your cousin.”

Kara accepted the glasses and put them over her eyes.  Suddenly, just as Jeremiah said, her vision became easier to control.  She could focus on what was in front of her, instead of being overwhelmed with sights from miles away.  “Thank you,” she spoke in awe.

They made their way back to the house.  This time, Kara carried her own duffel bag.  “We will see you soon!” Hank called out, and took off into the air.  Kara waved goodbye and shot up after him.

As they flew toward the coast and out over the ocean, Kara took one last look at the beach where Alex and her friends slowly disappeared into tiny dots on the sand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently watched the episode Midvale (the only season 3 episode I've seen all the way through) and it made me miss the quality Kara and Alex content that exists. It inspired me to find the outline for this that I wrote months ago and continue with this fic. Even when the show sucks, we can still be here making content and appreciating the characters. Hope you enjoy, and I hope to continue with this (probably not with very regular updates, but bear with me, I work full time).
> 
> ~insert sappy Thanksgiving message about being thankful for all of you who read/comment on my work~


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